Hosta plant named ‘American Hero’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique  Hosta  plant named ‘American Hero’ characterized by compact plant habit and stiff, upright, heavily-substanced, twisted, variegated leaves with dark green margins and creamy centers. The leaf veins have an irregular and unusual fusing, a puckering or corrugation especially between the leaf margin and center and the creamy centers have an irregular green flecking. Flowering lasts for about 3 to 4 weeks beginning in mid-July with numerous light-lavender upward-facing flowers on cream-colored scapes.

Botanical classification: Hosta hybrid (Tratt.)

Variety denomination: ‘American Hero’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hosta plant, Hosta‘American Hero’ discovered by Amy Bergeron at a nursery in Zeeland,Mich., USA as an uninduced whole-plant mutation in a tissue culturedcrop of Hosta ‘Loyalist’ (not patented) the summer of 2005. The newplant has been successfully asexually propagated both by division and bytissue culture at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Both methods of asexualpropagation systems have been found produce stable and identical plantsthat maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hosta ‘American Hero’ differs from its parent, ‘Loyalist’, as well asall other hostas known to the applicant. The most similar known hostacultivars are: ‘Americana’ (not patented), ‘Loyalist’ (not patented),‘Revolution’ (not patented), ‘Paul Revere’ (not patented), ‘Fire andIce’ (not patented) and ‘Pathfinder’ (not patented). ‘Loyalist’, ‘Fireand Ice’ and ‘Paul Revere’ all appear to be identical to each other, butare independently derived sports all from ‘Patriot’ with flat leaveshaving a dark-green margin and white center having a small number ofgreen speckles in the center. ‘Revolution’, ‘Americana’ and ‘AmericanHero’ are directly or indirectly sports (mutations) of ‘Patriot’ (notpatented). All seven of the Hosta cultivars listed above have similarleaf variegation patterns with the green margins and whitish centers.Hosta ‘American Hero’ has a highly-contrasting, wide, deep-green leafmargins with a bright white leaf centers which have a unique specklingof green flecks of irregular lengths and widths. The new plant also hasunique veining that produces an extreme twisting of the leaf blades.

TABLE 1 VARIEGATED HOSTA COMPARISON CENTER LEAF MARGIN LEAF CULTIVARCOLOR COLOR SUBSTANCE ‘American Hero’ creamy white with dark green veryhigh green flecks ‘Americana’ creamy white dark green high ‘Fire andIce’ creamy white dark green high ‘Loyalist’ creamy white dark greenmoderate ‘Pathfinder’ creamy white with dark green moderate green flecks‘Paul Revere’ creamy white with dark green moderate green flecks‘Revolution’ creamy white with dark green high heavy green flecks

The closest comparison variety is ‘Revolution’, and it differs primarilyin that ‘American Hero’ has more twisted leaves with unusual fusing ofveins. The new plant specifically differs from the parent ‘Loyalist’ inhaving heavier substance foliage, green flecking in the leaf center,more twisted foliage and an unusual fusing of the veins. Hosta ‘AmericanHero’ differs from all other hostas known to the applicant, by thecombination of the following traits:

-   -   1. Compact plant habit with stiffly-upright, heavily-substance,        twisted, variegated leaves with dark green margins and creamy        centers having an irregular green flecking.    -   2. Light mint green scapes with upright facing buds and light        lavender flowers beginning in mid July.    -   3. Primarily parallel veins with irregular fusing near the leaf        edges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance ofthe new plant including the unique traits as a three-year old plantgrown in a container in a greenhouse with 50% shade and supplementalwater and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonablypossible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature,source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation incolor.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Hosta ‘American Hero’,has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different environmental conditions, such astemperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but withoutany change in the genotype. The following observations and sizedescriptions are of a three-year old plant in a 50% shaded trial gardenin Zeeland, Mich. with and supplemental water and fertilizer.

-   Botanical classification: Hosta hybrid (Tratt.).-   Variety denomination: ‘American Hero’.-   Parentage: Uninduced whole-plant mutation of Hosta ‘Loyalist’.-   Propagation: Garden division and sterile plant tissue culture.-   Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 18 days.-   Growth rate: Moderate.-   Crop time: About 12 weeks to finish during the summer in a 3.8 liter    container from an established 2.5 cm tissue culture plug.-   Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 25 cm    long.-   Plant shape and habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial with basal    rosettes of leaves emerging from rhizomes, producing a symmetrical    mound of distinctly upright leaves in youth, becoming slightly more    horizontally mounded with age.-   Plant size: Foliage height about 45 cm tall from soil line to the    top of the leaves and about 55 cm wide at the widest point about 25    cm above soil line.-   Foliage description: Cordate, acute leaf apex with cordate base.-   Leaf blades: Simple, entire, puckered or corrugated especially in    tissue between leaf center and margin; blade twisted; heavy    substance or leaf thickness from upper to lower leaf surfaces; up to    18 cm long and 14 cm wide, average 15 cm long and 13 cm wide;    usually bi-laterally symmetrical; glabrous and glaucous below,    glabrous and shiny above; variegation pattern variable with the    margin between about 5.5 cm to 2.0 cm wide in the blade center with    some acute white points extending into the margin; dark green margin    narrows near the apex to about 0.5 cm wide; flecks in the    creamy-colored center vary in size from 2.0 cm long and 3.0 mm wide    to 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm wide with an average fleck about 2.0 mm    long and 1.0 mm wide.-   Leaf blade color:    -   -   Adaxial (top) margin.—Nearest RHS 139A upon emerging and            mid-summer.        -   Abaxial (bottom) margin.—Nearest RHS 137B shortly after            emerging and nearest RHS N138B mid-summer.        -   Adaxial center.—Between RHS 150D and RHS 154D with flecks of            nearest RHS 137B and others lighter than RHS N138D shortly            after emerging; by mid-summer the base color develops to            lighter than RHS 155C with flecks of nearest RHS 139B, RHS            137A and lighter than RHS N138D.        -   Abaxial center.—Between RHS 150D and lighter than RHS 145D            with flecks of RHS nearest RHS 145C and RHS 137C shortly            after emerging; by mid-summer the base color develops to            nearest RHS 155C with flecks of RHS 193A, RHS 137D and RHS            141C.-   Petiole: Entire, glabrous; stiff; mostly straight from base of plant    to leaf base, concave center about 7.0 mm deep; about 30.0 cm long    and 1.0 cm wide at base; edge or margin of petiole with a green    stripe, about 2 mm wide at base and 4 mm wide near blade.-   Petiole color: Margin nearest RHS 139A and center nearest RHS 155A    without green flecks.-   Veins: Mostly parallel but often fusing near blade edge and tip;    raised on abaxial side and impressed on adaxial surface; 9 to 10    pair.-   Veins color: Same as surrounding leaf on both adaxial and adaxial    sides and transition as leaf color through the season.-   Flower description:    -   -   Buds one day prior to opening.—About 1.5 cm diameter at            widest point and 6.0 cm long; globose center with acute and            base narrowing to a diameter of about 4.0 mm in diameter.        -   Bud color.—Light lavender between RHS 85C and RHS 85D;            terminal 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm of apex nearest RHS 139C.        -   Flowers.—Funnelform; with broadly flared tepals; 30 to 35            per scape; about 6.2 cm wide and 7.0 cm long, (distal            flowers smaller), persists for a normal period, usually one            day on plant or as cut flower; scapes remain effective with            flowers from mid-July to mid-August; no detectable            fragrance.        -   Bracts.—Each flower subtended by a single bract to 6.5 cm            long and 2.0 cm wide decreasing in size distally; glaucous            underneath, shiny above and glabrous both surfaces; margin            entire, sessile with straight base, apex acute; concaved            supporting flower bud; margin irregular, about 3.0 mm wide            on largest bracts and decreasing proportionally on smaller            bracts; center portion about 85% of total expanded width.        -   Bract color.—Adaxial margin nearest RHS 139A with an uneven            or jagged inside border; Adaxial center nearest RHS 150D;            Abaxial margin: mm wide margin of nearest RHS 136B; Adaxial            center: nearest RHS 145D; All surfaces of bracts with            tinting of nearest RHS N186C in form of tiny speckling            concentrated in areas of more light exposure, especially            distally; Veins: same color as surrounding tissue on adaxial            and abaxial surfaces.        -   Tepal.—Two sets of three, fused at base; clavate with acute            apex; glabrous, entire; approximately 6.0 cm long and 1.5 cm            wide.        -   Tepal color.—Each set of three tepals colored independently;            Outer set of three tepals: adaxial surface with base color            of nearest RHS 76B with five veins of nearest RHS 76A and a            thin margin of white (without tinting) at the basal ½ of the            tepal; abaxial color nearest RHS 76D; Inner set of three            tepals: adaxial surface with broad white (without tinting)            margin of about 5.0 mm wide at center with a clear margin of            about 2.0 mm extending distally starting in the center and            extending to apex; center stripe of about 4.0 mm wide of            between RHS 76A and RHS 76B; abaxial color nearest RHS 76D            with a 2.0 mm clear margin starting at the middle and            extending to the apex.-   Gynoecium: Style: single, about 8.5 cm long, 1.0 mm diameter, curved    upward at distal end a total of 90 degrees; color lighter near    white, nearest RHS 155B; Stigma: globose, about 1.5 mm in diameter;    near white, nearest RHS 155B.-   Androecium: Filaments: six, about 1.0 mm in diameter and 6.8 cm    long, curved upward distally a total of 90 degrees; near white,    whiter than RHS 155D; Anthers: about 3.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide;    dorsifixed; dehiscent longitudinally; nearest RHS 158D; Pollen:    elliptical, less than 0.1 mm long, nearest RHS 17A.-   Peduncle: One per mature division; initially glaucous, becoming    dull; glabrous; without vertical ridges; upright, usually to 90    degrees from horizontal; about 55 cm tall, and up to 8.0 mm in    diameter at base; average size about 50.0 cm tall and 7.0 mm    diameter; color between RHS 145D and RHS 150D with stippling nearest    RHS N186C concentrated in areas of more light exposure, especially    distally.-   Pedicel: Approximately 6.0 mm long, 2.0 mm wide; straight; lighter    than RHS 76D; Fruit: tri-loculicidal capsule, about 3.5 cm long and    8.0 mm diameter; while developing nearest RHS 145D with tinting    nearest RHS N186C and when mature nearest RHS 164C.-   Seed: Flattened single-winged nutlet with swollen embryo at one end;    about 7.0 mm long, 2 mm wide and 1.5 mm thick at embryo; nearest RHS    202A.-   Disease and pest resistance: Hosta ‘American Hero’ stands up and    resists slug infestation better than most other hosta plants in    garden situations but has not been observed to be resistant to other    diseases common to hostas beyond normal. The plant grows best and    shows best coloration with plenty of moisture, adequate drainage and    light shade, but is able to tolerate some sun or drought when    mature. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 3 through 9, and other    disease resistance is typical of that of other hostas.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Hosta plant named‘American Hero’ as herein described and illustrated, suitable as apotted plant, for the garden, and for cut flower or leaf arrangements.